Designer Faces: Yves Saint Laurent Spring 2012

Who says you can't pair bold eyes and red lips? Makeup artist Pat McGrath beautifully defied this age-old beauty rule backstage at Yves Saint Laurent by lining the models' eyes with rich black and brown liners and painting their mouths metallic red. She described the look as "over-the-top, modern eccentricity." We like to call it incredibly sexy.

"For me, it's a mix of [actress] Talitha Getty meets Anne Buffy Taylor, a socialite who was a collector of jewels. It's very different, very brave," said McGrath, as she put the finishing touches on the metallic red lips and smoldering eyes backstage.

The smudgy eyes were created using a mix of brown and black liners. The color was applied all over the eyelids and extended to the outer corners. But instead of winging it up, McGrath dipped it down slightly. The same blend was then drawn along the lower lash lines.

The models' lips were first lined with a red lip pencil, then coated in a metallic red lipstick—and before they headed onto the runway, red pigment was dabbed on.

"I really like a red lip, and it's just time to change things up, right?" asked McGrath. "It's a couture mouth, we're making it more of a foil, making it quite metallic red than a classic red—it's sort of young, but at the same time eccentric and rich," she said.

"The hair is very sophisticated; very classic, the kind of Saint Laurent woman," said hairstylist Guido. To get the look, Redken Satinwear 02 Ultimate Blow-Dry Lotion was applied to wet hair for thickening purposes. The hair was blow-dried, teased at the crown, and then secured into a tight, low ponytail. Guido wrapped the models' hair into knots and pinned them in place.